16 Days of Peace: How the Olympic Games Bring the World Together

The Olympics Inspire Movies that Inspire Us

As someone who reports regularly on the crossroads between Faith, Media & Culture for Beliefnet, what is most remarkable about the games to me is how they organically result in real-life stories of faith and inspiration – stories which, inevitably, result inspirational movies.

If you want to be inspired, checkout 1981’s Chariots of Fire. Directed by Hugh Hudson, this fact-based British film won the Best Picture Oscar for its story of two Olympic runners competing in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson) is a Scotsman and Christian who views running as a means to proclaim his faith in God. Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) is a British Jew who runs to take a stand against bigotry. It ranks 19th in the British Film Institute's list of Top 100 British films.

There are many more, of course. And, most probably, this year’s games will produce additional fodder for Hollywood.